Your face isn't the only location where acne could appear. It can possibly affect any body part that has oil-secreting glands or hair follicles, including your back, chest, and shoulders. Back acne could be especially troublesome.
While 92 percent of people with acne have facial acne, 60 percent have back acne and even chest acne. Having acne on your back and chest is a sign that your acne is more likely to be severe.
Your back, like your face, has a lot of sebaceous glands that secrete sebum, an oily substance. Sebum, along with dead skin cells and germs, can build up in the hair follicles on your back and clog them. A clogged follicle eventually breaks down and forms an acne lesion.
Kinds of Back Acne
Before we could discuss about back acne treatment, we will introduce you the types of acne that can occur on your back:
Whiteheads. Whiteheads develop when a plugged follicle stays closed and underneath your skin area, forming a white bump.
Blackheads. When a plugged follicle is located on the surface of your skin and is open, it forms a blackhead. The black-tip appearance of blackheads is due to a reaction between sebum and the air, not because dirt has filled your follicle.
Papules. Acne lesions that appear as small pink bumps on your skin area and are sometimes tender are called papules.
Pustules. Also called a pimple, a pustule is a white or yellow pus-filled papule with a reddened base.
Nodules. When an acne lesion develops deep below the surface of your skin, it can possibly harden and form a large, painful nodule.
Cysts. Cysts are larger, pus-filled acne lesions that are very painful and can scar the skin area.
Prevent Back Acne
You can't always control whether you get back acne, because the main things that predispose you to developing back acne are hormonal fluctuations and genetics that are out of your control. Back acne treatment can easily help, but prevention is the most effective treatment.
But you can reduce your chances of developing upcoming back acne lesions by:
Staying away from certain medications. Some drugs, including androgens (male hormones) and lithium, are known to increase your chances of developing acne. If you are taking any of these medications, discuss with your medical doctor about possible alternative treatments.
Limiting your use of oil-based skin care products. Try not to use moisturizers, cosmetics, sunscreens, and any additional oily products on your back, because they can easily lead to back acne flare-ups.
Eliminating pressure on your back. If you carry a backpack or wear sports equipment, like shoulder pads, that places pressure on your back, try not wearing it for a while or, alternatively, wear a clean cotton T-shirt under it. Prolonged pressure and friction from these objects on your back can trigger certain forms of back acne breakouts.
The Best Back Acne Treatment
If you already have back acne, back acne treatment could be:
Trying an over-the-counter treatment. These products can be used to control gentle back-acne flare-ups and include ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid, and sulfur.
Practicing good skin care. When you have back acne, it's especially important to properly care for your skin. This includes regularly washing your skin area with a soft cleanser, taking a shower after you exercise, keeping your hair clean, not squeezing or picking back acne lesions, and avoiding excessive sun exposure.
If this back acne treatment doesn't help you, see a dermatologist. This skin specialist can evaluate your back acne and prescribe medications to help control it, if required.
While 92 percent of people with acne have facial acne, 60 percent have back acne and even chest acne. Having acne on your back and chest is a sign that your acne is more likely to be severe.
Your back, like your face, has a lot of sebaceous glands that secrete sebum, an oily substance. Sebum, along with dead skin cells and germs, can build up in the hair follicles on your back and clog them. A clogged follicle eventually breaks down and forms an acne lesion.
Kinds of Back Acne
Before we could discuss about back acne treatment, we will introduce you the types of acne that can occur on your back:
Whiteheads. Whiteheads develop when a plugged follicle stays closed and underneath your skin area, forming a white bump.
Blackheads. When a plugged follicle is located on the surface of your skin and is open, it forms a blackhead. The black-tip appearance of blackheads is due to a reaction between sebum and the air, not because dirt has filled your follicle.
Papules. Acne lesions that appear as small pink bumps on your skin area and are sometimes tender are called papules.
Pustules. Also called a pimple, a pustule is a white or yellow pus-filled papule with a reddened base.
Nodules. When an acne lesion develops deep below the surface of your skin, it can possibly harden and form a large, painful nodule.
Cysts. Cysts are larger, pus-filled acne lesions that are very painful and can scar the skin area.
Prevent Back Acne
You can't always control whether you get back acne, because the main things that predispose you to developing back acne are hormonal fluctuations and genetics that are out of your control. Back acne treatment can easily help, but prevention is the most effective treatment.
But you can reduce your chances of developing upcoming back acne lesions by:
Staying away from certain medications. Some drugs, including androgens (male hormones) and lithium, are known to increase your chances of developing acne. If you are taking any of these medications, discuss with your medical doctor about possible alternative treatments.
Limiting your use of oil-based skin care products. Try not to use moisturizers, cosmetics, sunscreens, and any additional oily products on your back, because they can easily lead to back acne flare-ups.
Eliminating pressure on your back. If you carry a backpack or wear sports equipment, like shoulder pads, that places pressure on your back, try not wearing it for a while or, alternatively, wear a clean cotton T-shirt under it. Prolonged pressure and friction from these objects on your back can trigger certain forms of back acne breakouts.
The Best Back Acne Treatment
If you already have back acne, back acne treatment could be:
Trying an over-the-counter treatment. These products can be used to control gentle back-acne flare-ups and include ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid, and sulfur.
Practicing good skin care. When you have back acne, it's especially important to properly care for your skin. This includes regularly washing your skin area with a soft cleanser, taking a shower after you exercise, keeping your hair clean, not squeezing or picking back acne lesions, and avoiding excessive sun exposure.
If this back acne treatment doesn't help you, see a dermatologist. This skin specialist can evaluate your back acne and prescribe medications to help control it, if required.
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